Liberato home run sends Dominican Republic to a 5-2 win over Puerto Rico

In the first international baseball in over a year and a half, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico treated a raucous crowd to a tight thriller. Baseball is back.

Luis Liberato belted a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, Julio Rodríguez scored two runs, and a star-studded World No. 11 Dominican Republic roster outlasted World No. 11 Puerto Rico on Monday afternoon in Game 1 of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier from Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA.

Liberato and Rodríguez were part of a potent 11-hit afternoon from the Dominican Republic’s offense that also included a 3-for-3 performance from Gustavo Nuñez, who tripled, scored a run and drove in another from the ninth spot in his team’s order. The Dominican Republic took the game’s first lead in the bottom of the first inning on three straight two-out singles by Rodríguez, six-time MLB All-Star José Bautista, and former big leaguer Juan Francisco.

After Puerto Rico took a brief lead on a two-run homer by Rey Navarro in the top of the second, the D.R. leveled the score in the third. Again, it was Seattle Mariners prospect Rodríguez who sparked his team with a leadoff single, his second hit on a 2-for-5 day. Rodríguez scored three batters later on a two-out double by Diego Goris.

The Dominican Republic took over in the sixth when Liberato connected on his team’s first home run of the tournament, a one-out solo shot to right-center. Nuñez followed with a triple down the right field line and scored on Emilio Bonifacio’s double to center behind him.

Monday’s home team added its first run on an RBI single by Nuñez plating Goris in the eighth.

While offense headlined the day, Dominican Republic starter Raúl Valdés starred on the mound. Over seven innings, Valdés (1-0) allowed just two runs on three hits, striking out five with one walk. The 43-year-old threw 106 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Luciano was Puerto Rico’s offensive star, going 3-for-4 with a pair of singles, a double and a run scored.

Despite allowing two runners aboard on singles to open the ninth, Dominican Republic righty Jairo Asencio (S, 1) retired the next three he saw, the final two via strikeout, to nail down the victory.